We Have Demons

by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo (Illustrator)

From comic-book superstars SCOTT SNYDER and GREG CAPULLO ( Batman , Last Knight on Earth , Dark Metal & Death Metal ) comes a new blockbuster series of biblical proportions.

Since the very dawn of man, legends have been told of the conflict between angel and demon-kind. Lam Lyle, a woman of science, dismissed these stories as just that — fiction .

But when the loss of a loved one leads to the discovery of a hulking, benevolent demon named Gus, Lam realizes that her life is about to undergo a dire new direction. With a newfound partner and awesome powers now at her disposal, our hero suddenly finds herself thrust into a climactic war of good and evil with no less than the fate of the world hanging in the balance…

Includes sketch material and original scripts.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Horror, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction, Sequential Art, Fantasy

200 pages, Paperback

First published June 14, 2022

About the author

Scott Snyder is the Eisner and Harvey Award winning writer on DC Comics Batman, Swamp Thing, and his original series for Vertigo, American Vampire. He is also the author of the short story collection, Voodoo Heart, published by the Dial Press in 2006. The paperback version was published in the summer of 2007.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

a generic end of the world story

Snyder’s first foray into digital comics is a generic snooze fest set at the end of the world. It’s about a group of people who fight demons.

[Alexander Peterhans · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two things seem to connect the recent Snyder projects I've read. One is they're all deliriously high-concept (which is fine), two is that there's a strong vein of blandness running through them (which isn't).

The book starts out interesting enough, but then the superhero-ish suits turn up, and the rules of this world keep shifting, important lessons about having faith are learned, and it all pulps down into a bland mush.

As usual, Snyder has the tendency to overwrite scenes, as happens here. Later on especially we get bombarded with exposition dumps, both in narration and dialogue.

Snyder writes in the bonus section of the book that the series is supposed to be an R-rated Saturday morning cartoon, which is a pretty apt description. He does leave out one of the hallmarks of Saturday morning cartoons in that comparison: telling stories isn't all that important, selling lots and lots of plastic toys is.

(Thanks to Dark Horse Books for providing me with an ARC through Edelweiss)

[Jim Ef · Rating 3 out of 5]

5.8/10
Good start but it loses it's spark along the way.

"We have demons" at first looked like it's going to be a no brainer, fun and bloody story about killing ugly demons. Then it changes to a high stakes/end of mankind story and frankly... it becomes blunt. I finished this not long ago, and I can't remember a single character's name or appearance besides the two protagonists.

There are good things here. The way demons change fromm their human form, tearing the flesh. Lam finding out about what her dad's past . Gus which i think is the most interesting character, with good background story. Also the relationship between the two works well.

For me this could be very good, in two different ways.
1. If this was just about Lam going around places, killing foul-mouthed demons. More horror comedy type.
2. The higher stakes, world ending story that Snyder went for here, is something that has been done before. I don't mind that. It's very hard to make something original nowadays. But then it needed way more then 3 issues. In order for the reader to care, it needed more character development and plot built up.

[Tina Haigler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This graphic novel has left me with mixed feelings. I think my biggest issue was the main character Lam. I am not generally a fan of the trope where said main character is a naive idiot and thinks they can just run headfirst into danger with no skills whatsoever simply because they gained some knowledge of what's really going on around them; this is extremely common with female leads and it gets under my skin every time. I want strong female leads, not some moron who thinks they are invincible and ends up needing to be saved. On the other hand, I loved the character of Gus and Lam's father, but I never really got to know any of the other characters due to the brevity of the story; which brings me to my second issue: it wasn't nearly long enough. We get 3 "chapters" filled with 3 more chapters each--which I found confusing; why not call them books, or volumes, or parts? Ultimately I think 5 "parts" with 3 chapters each would've been good; then we could've seen more of Lam's training or heard more about Gus' or his people's story. Instead its thickness was misleading because half of it is bonus material and art, which was disappointing considering that the last third was the most interesting. I was also not a fan of cursing being linked to demons; what an outdated concept! It lent nothing to the story except as an excuse for the characters to tell each other to watch their language and for the authors to figure out how "profane" they could be while creating the demon's dialogue; cursing is neither shocking nor evil and I found myself rolling my eyes.

Now for the good stuff. The advisory intro made me chuckle, I found the mythology interesting (just not fleshed out enough), i.e. the concept of unknown elements and another species of man, and I enjoyed the way it was drawn, especially the design of the demons; the coloring was surprisingly appealing--I normally hate anything yellow but in this instance it felt right. In the end there was probably a little more bad than good, but this had a lot of unrealized potential and I'm sad that there aren't more volumes to allow us to delve deeper. I can't say I highly recommend it, considering how it feels unfinished, but ultimately I don't regret reading it either.

[Sud666 · Rating 3 out of 5]

"We have Demons" was interesting.

A girl named Lam is the descendant of a group of holy warriors. Her father was killed by demons. Apparently there is a force known as halo and horn. Halo produces the godfolk (good guys and demonhunters) and horn produces demons. Lam must fight against the forces of the horn and await the coming of a halo meteor so that they can create anti-demon weapons.

In this she is assisted by a group of demon hunters and a former demon named Gus. While none of the story is original or amazing, it is a good, fun read. The artwork is really good and the characters have some depth to them.

While never groundbreaking or all that original, I think this is a solid horror comic. The artwork is rather good as well and that helps. Nothing amazing but certainly not bad.

[Δημήτρης Μπ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating is 3.5*/5

I liked "We Have Demons". Everything in the story doesn't always make sense and in trying to be an apocalyptic/end-of-mankind tale it kind of loses its originality, however, it's a good enough story that kept me until the end and the two main protagonists are quite interesting. It's a decent take concerning mankind's battle between good and evil (or between halo and horn, as stated in the book) - even inside the same person. I would like to see how Snyder would continue the story in a second volume.

Capullo's gory art is really great. The action scenes are drawn very lively and the transformation of demonkind is illustrated deliciously horrifying.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like most creator-owned, Comixology works, We Have Demons has altogether too much text and a prompt, unsatisfactory ending. But the setup is good fun and the Greg Capullo art is terrific, as always.

Lam's priest father is revealed to be working for a secret society that battles demons (science fiction demons, not real ones from Hell). Naturally, the secret society is on the ropes and only Lam can save them all! We Have Demons is dense with cliches, but Scott Snyder ably crafts them into an engaging tale. The only downside is the abrupt ending that obnoxiously opens the world up for bland sequels. There are also like 400 pages of sketches and scripts, so I hope you're into that stuff.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Demon hunters fighting demons in a war that has gone one for centuries. Not bad, but felt sort of like an early Image comic. The Capullo art is really nice, though. I liked this, but there was something about it that made me feel like I'd seen it all before.

[Neil Pearson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art is great and fans of 90s image comics/spawn will be in for a treat as capullo is clearly enjoying this. That said, it feels like the primary goal of the story was to allow the artist to draw horrific demons, the rest being pretty average team/origin fare. There's apparently going to be a sequel which makes sense as it felt like set up for bigger stories.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

We Have Demons made me nostalgic for Batman. I forgot how much I loved Snyder and Capullo together on that run. It was cool to see the team back. This is a great start to a series. The overall concept is not the most original, but it has enough of its own flavor to overlook that. The art is wonderfully detailed. The demons give off a bit of a Spawn vibe. I really liked Gus as a character. The other main character, Lam, did not work for me as much, but I see the potential. Things got a little too wordy near the end, but there was a lot I enjoyed here. I am definitely looking forward to more.

[Alex Sarll]

A young woman learns that her estranged father was part of a secret society devoted to slaying the demons who lurk among us, and takes up his mission. It's told in a lively enough fashion, and that applies especially to the bits which are told as much as shown, something that – contrary to clichéd advice – I often enjoy as long as it's done well. But despite some nice business with the periodic table, the backstory runs through some elements which have come to feel very well-worn over recent years (oh look, it's the nephilim, again), and once we get to the present day action it all goes down a little too straightforwardly. This route one storytelling, the brevity of the series, and the way it feels as much as anything like a pitch for a TV show (essentially The Invaders except supernatural, and with a female lead and a bit of humour to catch the Buffy audience) combine to make the project feel very Mark Millar. It isn't, mind, and to some people the idea of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo reuniting for a creator-owned book will in itself be exciting. Whereas for me, well, this is the team whose Batman run finally firmed up something which had long been grumbling in the background and convinced me that I fucking hate modern Batman. I guess at least the lead here does actually kill their monstrous opponents, rather than make sure they're free to continue running around massacring innocents, which is a start. But the fact that it's Snyder brings another problem when you consider that one of his other Comixology Originals books, Night Of The Ghoul, is also about supernatural monsters lurking unseen among humanity, corrupting us, opposed only by a small band of hunters. And so is his long-stalled Image series Wytches. So if he only has the one horror story to tell, albeit varying the mood slightly from folk horror to meta creepy to more of a supernatural adventure vibe here, maybe he could stop dicking around with all the variant iterations and be so kind as to go back and finish the first and best version?

[Glo · Rating 4 out of 5]

La historia es entretenida, muy dinámica y las ilustraciones son espectaculares. Se lee rápido. Ideal para pasar un buen rato.

[Rory Wilding · Rating 3 out of 5]

During DC Comics’ New 52 initiative, writer Scott Snyder, artist Greg Capullo and inker Jonathan Glapion did one of the best runs of the main Batman title. As bombastic as the run can be, combining Snyder’s fascination with history and horror, as well as Capullo’s Spawn-like illustrations, their work redefined Batman, which paved the way for not only for future comics creators to tackle the Dark Knight, but also the character’s subsequent appearances in other media. However, with this creative team left DC, their next venture is in the creator-owned field, starting at Snyder’s creative studio, Best Jackett Press.

As part of Snyder’s eight-title digital first deal with comiXology Originals – in which he will collaborate with various artists for each title – We Have Demons seems like perfect territory for both Snyder and Capullo. Despite a wonderful upbringing with her father, Lam Lyle grew more and more distant from him, due to some profession that he kept secretive. However, upon hearing about her father’s passing, Lam, who grew up as a woman of science and initially dismissed the stories she had heard as a child about the conflict between angel and demon-kind, which turned out to be actually true.

With only three issues – each of which are longer than the conventional twenty-two-page count –Snyder goes heavy on the exposition, which he has been criticised for in the past, even though We Have Demons seems to be moving at a quick pace as well. As much as we have seen the conflict between angels and demons countless times, not least from Spawn that Capullo was an artist on, there is enough time to explore ideas of faith, as well as Lam has a better understanding of his late father, through her relationship with his demon-slaying partner, Gus. Although Snyder is perhaps relying too much on his prose, at least he allows the reader to get inside the heads of the two leads, both of which are going through their own inner demons, some of which actually get manifested.

In a way, Snyder is writing more towards his collaborator’s strengths as considering Capullo’s art has certainly evolved throughout the years, We Have Demons leans more into his 90s aesthetics where demonic visuals and bloodshed violence occur throughout. Along with Dave McCaig’s colouring, Capullo can get dynamic with his panel layouts, allowing for some kinetic action sequences.

Rushes on storytelling, despite the heavy exposition and if Snyder had more time than just the three issues, he would have a more dramatically compelling tale. That said, there is enough to enjoy from its central buddy relationship to Capullo’s strong art. Given the multiple comics that Snyder will be writing, he might fall into the problem that Brian Michael Bendis has, which is too many books and thus the quality can go up and down. But solely on We Have Demons, it’s fine.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creative dream team, Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo, combine to tell the story of Lam and the fall of man. Lam is a young woman who learns that demons exist and she and her family have a huge part in ridding the world of them. This book had a lot of good but sadly a lot of bad along with it. The good was Lam, her personality, Gus, the premise, and Capullo's amazing artwork. The bad was the over explained world, the corny names for things, the odd "superhero team", those costumes, mythical swords, and the lack of subtlety. Overall, a decent read that felt too heavy handed and corny at times.

[Dave Farrance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Really enjoyed this! Great artwork, interesting story idea, and fantastic execution.
My only gripe - all the Glories have such badass looking swords, yet Lam just has a weak ass needle. I feel this was just to accentuate the middle finger theme they kept going throughout, but it just seemed impractical to fight demons with a little stick with no prior combat training.
Still, this title is about zany over the top fun, so that’s just part of the fun!

[Daryn Moore · Rating 1 out of 5]

A reheated microwave bowl of tired ideas you've seen before (and probably done better) and all served up as a shallow good vs evil story with a dated style & tone.
Seriously, I kept expecting Witchblade or Jackie Estacado from The Darkness to wander in for a few pages, y'know?
And that's not a good thing.

I curse whatever review, Instagram post or Reddit comment fooled me into picking this up.

[Morten Hansen · Rating 2 out of 5]

the artwork > the story

[Vinnie Uube · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s a lot more substance in this 3-issue story than I could’ve imagined. Well done!

[Matty Dub · Rating 3 out of 5]

A typical Snyder script, inane repetitive ramblings paired with great art and colour. 2.5/5

[Mars Dorian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty cool premise about an angelic and demonic meteors crashing onto Earth and kickstarting a war between good and evil.

WHD takes huge inspiration from the Bible but crafts a modern demon-slaying superhero story around it.

Greg Capullo's art shines especially with demons tearing through their human veneer. Reminds me of his Spawn years when he revelled in creating vile creatures.

The book, originally a Comixology exclusive, however feels like a collection of better and more famous Image comics that came before.

I get strong Spawn and alternative superhero squad vibes from WHD. In the end, it's a simple good vs. evil story clumsily told through too much text. What's the point of having all this intricate backstory when the story culminates in superheroes slaying demons?

The premise is still cool and I flipped through pages in one sitting. I just wish they would have told a more original or at least more interesting story around it.

[Nadia Medynski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book mainly because the artwork intrigued me, and I was not disappointed. The artwork throughout every page is brilliant and alone is worth purchasing this for.

The story itself I enjoyed, I noticed prior to reading that some reviewers stated that there was too much writing. However, I thought I would give it a go, as I enjoyed the art and found that personally I didn’t find this to be the case. The writing and the artwork told the story in just the right way and at no point did I find it too ‘wordy’.

There is a lot of swearing, and lots of blood and that’s what I’d expect from a book about demon slaying. The female protagonist is likeable, with a strong character with no whining or woe is me personality.

Overall I found the story interesting and definitely want to read more, both for the artwork and the story itself.

[Jiro Dreams of Suchy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This team wrote one of the best modern Batman runs, hell one of THE best Batman runs. Just an amazing team but this comic is too corny and just not very fun or exciting which sucks extra hard because I know how well these two work together.

A distant daughter finds out her pastor dad was actually a DEMON HUNTER and (even worse) the demons swear like 8th graders. They come off as so cheesy. I’m reading the Clean room and those demons are monsters and you feel this repulsiveness through their design and behavior. The demons in this book would say shit like hey fucker I’m gonna kill your ass!!!

The art is good- interesting demon designs at times. I like the way the final chapter looks, the meteor is awesome. Sadly this one isn’t really worth it but if you enjoy cheesy horror movies you wouldn’t mind reading this one.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find the main character and side-characters of this first issue very compelling and genuinely chuckle-inducing.

Normally, I don't care much for "humorous" dialogue these days, but I love Snyder's writing. I've not read anything from him yet that fails on its delivery and this is no different. The humor is simultaneously irreverent, yet does not feel mean-spirited and has a gag by the end of issue one that genuinely made me laugh out loud.

Pitch perfect, very easy to enjoy, with some excellent paneling and great character design. Very enjoyable art which has pleasantly detailed backgrounds and and very well-matched coloring that reminds me a lot of comics when I was young.

I look forward to the rest of the series with open arms and a middle finger up!

[Matt Sabonis · Rating 2 out of 5]

The worst thing about all these comics writers who have become brands unto themselves is that they have to start churning stuff out like they’re a comic company themselves, and it leads to boring dreck like this.

A teenaged girl (of course she’s a teenaged girl) finds out her recently-deceased dad was a demon hunter who was partners with a demon (of course he was). Then they team up and fight demons and we’re constantly told what it means, which is Snyder’s worst trait. I know he teaches creative writing at a university level, but he keeps writing like a second-year creative writing student who has to constantly tell you what he’s writing about.

At least Capullo’s art is pretty, I just wish that the designs for the demon hunting outfits wasn’t more spandex trash.

[Horror DNA · Rating 4 out of 5]

At its heart, We Have Demons is an updated Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or busier Hack/Slash. Scott Snyder comes accompanied by frequent Batman collaborator Greg Capullo who, along with inker Jonathan Glapion and colourist Dave McCaig, delivers what might be his career-best work.

You can read Joel's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.

[Maraya21 (The Reading Dragon) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Shaun Stanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up to 3⭐️

We Have Demons collects issues #1-3 of the Comixology and Dark Horse comics series written by Scott Snyder, art by Greg Capullo, and colors by Dave McCaig.

After losing her father, Lam Cullen discovers she is from a line of Demon hunters and joins a secret society in the world’s battle of good vs evil.

The early 2010s Batman writer and artist team return to tackle an original story. The book is deep in lore but doesn’t tackle anything new. All the concepts are ripped from dozens of works that all did it better. The story itself is also rather formulaic and predictable. Not a single plot reveal surprised me.

While it’s not very original, it is still well put together and moves along at a pretty good speed. All the pieces are there and it still stays engaging to the reader. Capullo’s heavy metal inspired art style and McCaig’s vibrant colors do look amazing so that helped a ton. I would recommend trying to find a deal on this book otherwise it’s not worth the price.

[Travis Duke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sad to see such a cookie cutter story from Snyder. The good vs. evil, demon vs. angel, and now halo vs. horn.... same shit different day. Snyder really does not get creative enough with such an overused theme. The protagonist is also so generic its painful, along with the others. Gus is barely fun and that is not enough to save this book.

I really hate to admit this is not Capullo's best work either, the art at times is messy and confusing. He is a killer line artist and it just looks so rushed. Sad.

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

6/10

A fun little action comic series with horror elements. Personally I think Scott Snyder is best when he's telling a humanist, action-light tale. We Have Demons is not the most memorable but it is a good time. The lore isn't explored too deeply and this world feels made for a series rather than a miniseries so I wonder if it simply was canned after the first volume was released. That wouldn't be too surprising as this isn't anything special but it still features the quality you'd expect by those involved (Greg Capullo is one of my favorite artists as well) and it's a fun, easy read.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went back and forth between a 3 and a 4 but ultimately gave it a bump due to the sheer awesomeness of Greg Capullo’s art.

While the story is a good one, and wildly inventive as are most of Scott Snyder’s books, there’s a severe lack of development and a lot of last minute plot fillers thrown at the reader. It also gets pretty hokey toward the end.

However, I enjoyed it. I’ll keep on reading and look forward to volume 2